The Gate House

Featured reviews

• M

  Michael Beaumont

  ·2 months ago

  “My wife and I, both aged 58, visited The Gate House in Doncaster for lunch with our four children, aged between 17 and 29. We were looking forward to a relaxed family meal, but unfortunately our visit was overshadowed by the way an age verification issue was handled. Our eldest son, who is 29 years old, ordered an alcoholic drink alongside his 27-year-old sister. He was asked for identification, which was absolutely fine. He produced his verified Yoti digital ID on his phone, which is widely used by younger adults today. We were then told that JD Wetherspoon does not currently accept digital forms of ID. Whilst I appreciate that businesses have their own policies, this seems very outdated in a world where many people now carry little more than their phone and keys. What disappointed us most was not the policy itself, but the complete lack of common sense and customer service shown afterwards. I asked to speak with the duty manager, Max, who confirmed that digital ID was not accepted. Rather than looking for a sensible way to resolve the situation, he simply repeated company policy. As a manager, I would have expected someone with more experience to balance policy with good judgement and customer care. To make matters worse, the alcoholic drink was removed, but no refund was offered. I even showed my own driving licence & Army veteran ID card, proving that I am 58 years old, and explained that I would drink it myself. I was not offered a new drink but had to remove it from the sluice area myself. The incident upset my son to the point that he left the pub to calm down, and I later had to buy him a soft drink instead. It also had an unexpected effect on our 27-year-old daughter, who had not been asked for ID. Instead of simply enjoying lunch, we ended up discussing how the experience had made her feel as though she somehow looked much older than her age because she hadn’t been challenged. What should have been a pleasant family lunch turned into an unnecessarily awkward and frustrating experience. We completely understand the importance of Challenge 25 and responsible licensing, and we support staff asking for ID where appropriate. However, good customer service also requires empathy, communication and a willingness to resolve situations sensibly. Unfortunately, none of that was evident during our visit. We left feeling disappointed that a simple lunch with our family had been spoiled by rigid policy, poor customer service and a lack of practical judgement. I hope JD Wetherspoon reviews both its policy on recognised digital ID and the way situations like this are managed in future.”

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• J

  John Bowmer

  ·4 months ago

  “Good, fast, service with both drinks and food. Good portions and food was hot and well presented. Nice friendly staff.”

• A

  Allie Donoghue

  ·5 months ago

  “Came here today 14/4/87 at 12.50pm. The manger was incredible above and beyond to help me with sorting my food out as pregnant struggle with spice and he went out his way to sort it all out for me. I worked for spoons years ago I wish I had a manger like this when I worked there 🤣🤣”

• D

  D G

  ·8 months ago

  “Overall, the place is a nice place to have a pint and food is mostly nice during the day. Only reason I have 4 stars on food as after 10pm (22:28),i had a Korean style fried chicken which was a bit unpleasant, sauce was too vinegary (you could feel the vinegar in the steam, it was quite strong) and the chips felt like it was microwaved (might be wrong, it just wasn't like it used to be), chicken was different from the one usually comes with it... Overall, I know that after 10pm you can't wait to go home, but if the pub gives good food throughout the day, it shouldn't slip just before closing. Staff is always helpful, beer is nice, it's only the food after 10pm which might need some love. Update : 09/02/2026. Same food ordered, as we can see it says chicken strips/chicken breast bites... As you can see I have received simple mashed chicken dippers (chicken content unknown as usual with these frozen "chicken" bites😅) coated with that sauce. I mean.... I'm not mad about the price, I'm mad about paying something than getting something different. Oh well”

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• M

  Mikey clarky

  ·1 year ago

  “Great spoons ideally located in the heart of the town .great breakfast & service & staff & get your daily steps in going to the loos 🪜🪜💪🏻⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️🥄”

• P

  paul brown

  ·2 years ago

  “A modern Wetherspoons in the lively town of Doncaster. Good breakfast and no problem to try before you buy regarding the real ales. There was a lary customer shouting at the bar staff, but the older female bartender handled the situation well.”

• J

  John Hoolan

  ·3 years ago

  “Spoons is spoons - you're guaranteed decent food, well priced beer and 10,000 stairs to the toilet, however... This place is different as you're made to feel very welcome by all the staff, even coming over to ask if the food is ok. Not had that before. Highly recommend this place 👍🏻”

• M

  MADDOGLEP

  ·3 years ago

  “Odd how two Spoons can be so close together with a similar space but totally different. This bar seems far friendlier. OK, maybe not as busy as the Red Lion but a lot more hospitable. Delighted to have a pint from Dorset brewery Jurassic ..Durdle Door ( a famous coastal feature) at 5%. And once again Madge got her 50p CAMRA discount.”

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• K

  K. Peake

  ·4 years ago

  “This was a pleasant pub to stop off for a drink at before catching a train, where the bar is well-presented and I was served by lovely, patient staff there! The lights and design inside are glorious, accompanying me appropriately as I sat at a comfortable striped seat. A placemat made for a neat addition at my round table, one that had been cleanliness fully maintained in line with the pub area as a whole!”

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  Dean Southall

  ·5 years ago

  “28th August Birthday Breakfast Update My sister treated me to breakfast here on my birthday. Service was fast & friendly. The food was decent. 24th September 2020 Update Now there's a queuing system at the entrance. You need to wait 2m apart. there's a desk where they take your name and number. The back is for food and the front for drinking only. Find yourself a free table. You can only order using their app as it's table service only. Covid review There's had sanitiser on the way in. there's a form to fill in if you want to. At the bar there are spots on the floor to show you where to queue. i was in the wrong place and one of the staff helpfully pointed me to the right place :-) You queue at the till and order there (or use their app). They prefer contactless but you can still use cash. I couldn't see any other patrons wearing a mask other than myself. There are only screens between tables at the back and that's where i sat. Wifi wasn't working today which is unusual 2019 review Decent cheap varied tap selection. Good food”

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